Railway car



Oct. 27, 1936. CJDE L. RICE RAILWAY CAR Filed Fb. 17, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 @w a w @a A k LT m \N Q C Q Oct. 27, 1936. c. DE L. RICE 2,058,630

RAILWAY CAR Filed Feb. 1'7, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwomtoz karZasDeZmP/ce Oct. 27, 1936. 0. DE 1.. RICE RAILWAY GAR Filed Feb. 17, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 27; 1936. 0. DE 1.. RICE RAILWAY CAR '8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 17, 1952 gwuentoc Cha rZe5D6Z05P/ce C. DE L. RICE RAILWAY CAR Oct. 27, 1936.

8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 1'7, 1932 Q I:- i; r mm s k K Q m an. Q Q Q Q g mix E R@ QM am am Oct. 27, 1936. c. DE 1.. RICE RAILWAY CAR Filed Feb. 17, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 mm @m m vnw glwuvnlo o C7242?Z@5 D6405 FP/C due/mung C. DE L. RICE RAILWAY CAR Oct; 27, 1936.

Filed Feb. 17, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 gwuawto'a Char-525136105 F/ce Oct. 27, 1936.

c. DE L. RICE RAILWAY CAR Filed Feb. 17, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 gwoe'nto o Patented Oct. 27, 1 936 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY CAR Charles De Los Rice, Hartford, Conn. Application February 17, 1932, Serial No. 593,441

9Claims. (Cl. 105-131) A This invention relates to railway cars, and has electric motor may be placed beneath the car particular reference to certain improvements in platform and adjacent the rear truck.

driving mechanism and trucks for such cars. Other objects will be in part obvious, and in It has been the practice to locate the power part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

.5 mechanism, such ';as the electric motor, on the The invention accordingly consists in the feasprung load, and to impart the power to the tures of construction, combination of elements driven wheels through a gear mechanism rigidly and arrangement of parts which will be exmounted on the aide of those wheels. Such an emplified in the construction hereinafter set arrangement is open to numerous objections, forth and the scope of the application of which among which may be mentioned that perfect will be'indicated in the appended claims. 10

harmony between the gears cannot be main- In the accompanying drawings, wherein is tained no matter how well the gears may be shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment made, and the drive inechanism is subjected to which the present invention may take. excessive shocks and strains. It has been pro- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing, more posed to provide between the mechanism and the or less diagrammatically, a car to which the im- 15 driven car wheels cushioning devices in order p em 0f t e Present invention maybe pto relieve the driving mechanism of the shocks p and jars which would otherwise be transmitted g. 2 is a top plan view of the car shown in to it through the wheels as they pass over the Fi rails. I Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the rear 20 The aim of my invention is to provide an truck; improved arrangement wherein pneumatic cush- Fig. 4 is a top plan view of what is shown ions are interposed between the drive mechanism in and the driven car wheels, the arrangement be- Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken ing characterized by its simplicity in construccentrally through the truck substantially on 25 tion, by the ease and facility with which the line 55 of Fig. 4; parts may be assembled and dis-assembled, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view through the security with which the pneumatic cushions the drive gear" a ism associated with the are held in place on their holders and in gripfront axle of the rear truck;

3o ping relation to the driven car wheels. Fi 7 s a s c o al V ew showing one of the A further aim of the invention is to provide car Wheels and its relation to the hollow driven certain improvements in the construction and sha t or qu d t e axle extending through design of the trucks to give better riding qualithat shaft; ties and more steadiness to the car while in mo- Fi 8 is an e evat onal View of one of th tion, that will provide greater durability and holders for the pne t c cushions. the ollow 35 dependabilityf permit of maintaining the necesshaft or quill being shown in end elevation and sary parts in lubricated and protected condition; the cushion and car wheel being shown inwhich make for simplicity in construction and broken lines; assembling, and which generally increase the Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the torque rod fo s y factory p ov d t uc i particu1arpreventing rotation of the casing within which 40 1y characterized by its lightness in weight as the drive gear e h m i l c t d;

comp r to trucks s w s n passenger Fig. 10 is a side view of that torque rod and cars. an end view of the casing; In the accompanying draw n I have shown Fig. 11 is an end view. of the springs which the improv men s of the pr n inv n n 94 are located between the platform of the car and 45 plied to 1 of sp l o a d t e p w one of the side beams of the truck, this view pl nt i diagrammatically i l d as being in being taken substantially on line H-ll of Fig. 3; the form of a gasoline motor. It is understood and that this disclosure is by way of exemplification Fig.12 is an elevational view of one of the links 50 only, it being observed that my improvements by means of which the truck frame is suspended,

may be applied to railroad cars other than of this view being taken substantially on line l2-l2 the type shown, and the motor may be of any of Fig. 3.

desired nature, such, for example, as an elec- Referring to the drawings in detail, in gs- 1 tric motor or an engine of the Diesel type. An and 2 is disclosed, for illustrative purposes only, 55

a special car to which the improvements of the present invention may be applied to advantage. In this instance, the car body is mounted upon a front truck and a rear truck, the latter having a pair of front wheels II) which are driven, as hereinafter described more in detail. In this instance, the power unit, designated generally by the numeral II, is located within the platform at the forward end of the car body. It may be stated here that the term platform means the chassis, and includes the longitudinally extending I-beams 9 which may be four in number, and the floor carried by the I-beams. The power unit may be of any suitable kind, such as an electric motor, gasoline motor, or a Diesel engine. This motor is connected to the gearing for the wheels H] by a drive shaft, which is preferably in sections, designated by the numerals l2, I3 and 14. The latter section constitutes the driving gear shaft and is disclosed most clearly in Fig. 6. Between the sections of the drive shaft are suitable universal joints I5. It will be observed that the engine is slightly inclined so that its shaft, together with the drive shaft, is radially disposed with respect to,the axis about which the wheels l0 rotate, so that there is a minimum of cramping action and wear on the universal joints. There may be a universal joint l5 im mediately behind the motor as a protection to its crankshaft. The front wall of the car body slopes upwardly and rearwardly, as at I8, so as to reduce wind resistance as much as possiblev The front end of the car may have a gable l9 provided with a window through which the operator may observe the road bed. The engine compartment at the forward end of the car may be separated from the passenger compartment by a transverse partition 20. In order to reduce suction at the rear end of the car, there may be secured to the car body a horizontally disposed pyramidal member 2| which has here been more or less diagrammatically illustrated. The car is given generally streamline shape, without introducing weaknesses therein or sacrificing space or comfort. The pyramidal member may be removable so as to permit of a number of cars being made up into a train; where this, is the case, the member 2| is connected to the rearmost car. It may be here observed that the car body sets relatively lovf on the trucks so that the center of gravity of the car is brought nearer the rail line, which is of distinct advantage, from the safety standpoint. Also, this makes it easier to get into and out of the car. As pointed out hereinafter more in detail, the truck springs are spaced 2. maximum distance apar t, so that side'rolling is greatly reduced. 5

Reference will now be had to the manner in which the drive mechanism for the driven car wheels is supported by pneumatic cushions in order that the transmission of shocks and jars from the wheels to the drive unit is reduced to a minimum. The rear truck has a pair of longitudinallyextending bolsters or beams 25 which are preferably in the form of an H, and these beams are connected together by transverse 1- beams 26, and a top plate 21, the latter being riveted to the upper flanges of the beams 25. The I-beams may be connecteclto the H-beams 2t by means of plates 28, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. Thus the beams are so secured together that they are held against changing their relative positions in a horizontal plane, there being sufficient fiexure vertically relative to the spring of each bearing to allow all four wheels to equally support the load at all times. The forwardends of the H-beams 25 are suspended, as hereinafter described more in detail, from journal boxes, designated generally by the numeral 24 and carried by the oppositeends of a solid axle 29 which fixedly carries the driven wheels l0 (see Fig. 7). About the axle 29 is a hollow tubular shaft or quill 30 which carries the drive unit, and this shaft is supported in a cushioned manner by the wheels In, there being sufficient clearance between the axle 29 and the shaft to prevent contact therebetween. Secured to each end of the hollow shaft 30 is a holder for a pneumatic cushion which seats in a tight non-slipping manner upon an internal circumferential surface provided on the car wheel.

-In the present instance, the cushion has a ringlike casing 3|, preferably formed of rubber and fabric, or cord as commonly applied in tire practice. The casing is provided with wired beads 32 on its inner circumference. The casing may be moulded so that it has an elliptical form so that the strains are distributed evenly on the cords of the cushion, greatly adding to the life and durability thereof. Within the casing 3| is an inner tube 33 to which leads a valve 34. The car wheel is provided with an annular container or flange 35, the internal surface 36 of which is parti-elliptical, transversely. The pneumatic cushion, when inflated and if not confined against outward expansion, would normally take a form cylindrical in cross section, but as this cushion is held between its holder and the container 35 and the container measures less than the normal diameter of the cushion when inflated, the cushion will flatten out and take a somewhat elliptical shape, thus affording a broad bearing surface between the container 35 and the cushion, thereby effecting a completely dependable driving engagement between the members when the cushion is inflated at a moderate pressure comparable with auto tire practice; and also permitting, at the same time, the desired pressure necessary to a proper cushioning of the driving mechanisms.

The holder for the cushion is of improved and novel construction, the arrangement thereof being such that its parts may be readily manufactured and assembled and the cushion, when the parts are assembled, is very securely and safely held against movement relative to the holder. The holder has a body portion 31 and a clamping plate 38 secured to the body member by bolts 39 of suitable number, say twenty. The

body member and the clamping plate have flanges Mlthe outer surfaces of which are suitably inclined so as to form a seat for the inner periphery of the casing 3|. Also, these members are recessed at the base of the seat in order to conform to and closely receive the beads 32, as shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings. The holder also includes an intermediate ringlike disc, preferably formed of three arcuate sections or plates 4| of such length that when these parts are assembled end to end there is a space 42 between two of the sections so as to accommodate the valve 34, as shown most clearly in Fig. 8. These arcuate plates have their inner peripheries located directly between the body member 31 and the clamping plate 38, and their outer portions are located between the beads 32. The parts are so proportioned that, when the holder is assembled, the plates 4| are securely clamped directly between the clamping member and the body memher; one of the beads is clamped between the incesses between the members of the holder and the intermediate disc. With this arrangement, it will be seen that the cushion is securely held against movement in all directions relative to the holder, this being essential to protect the valve with respect to the inner tube. The intermediate disc composed of the plates 4| through which bolts 39 pass provides an additional frictional contact between the casing and the holder. The disc of the holder is formed in sections, as described, in order to facilitate assembly of the parts. These sections may be secured to the body portion by means of screws 43 before the clamping plate is brought to position. Then the clamping plate is brought to position and the bolts 39 are then applied. It is observed that the cushion is positively held against movement relative to the holder and, when the cushion is infiated, the area of the engaging surfaces between the outer periphery of the cushion and the car wheels is extremely liberal, anda most powerful friction clutch is obtained between the cushion and the wheel so that there is no slippage therebetween in normal operation, thus, doing away with wear and tear such as clutches are ordinarily subjected to when starting a dead load. With moderate pressure in the cushion, a very high driving power is obtained between the rubber of the cushion and the metal surface of the wheel, acting at a point close to the tread of the wheel.

The body member 31 has a tapered opening which receives the tapered end 45 of the hollow shaft or quill so that the holder has a wedged fit on that tapered portion. Inwardly of the tapered portion 45, the hollow shaft 30 has a substantial thread 46 on which is screwed a ring or nut 41 provided with a plurality of holes 48 of considerable number, for example, eight. Extending through these holes are bolts 49, whichalso project through aligned openings in the body portion 31. The holder is fixed to the quill 30 against turning movement relative thereto by means of a key 50. With this arrangement, it will be observed that the holder for the pneumatic cushion may be very securely and effectively fastened to the shaft against endwise and rotary movement relative thereto. The arrangement also is a very simple and economical one, and permits of ready assembly and dis-assembly of the parts. If desired, the ring or nut 41 may have additional threaded openings for the reception of screws 5| the outer ends of which are adapted to bear against the body portion 31. The advantage of this is that when it is desired to remove the holder and the cushion from the shaft, this can be easily done by turning the screws 5| in the proper direction so that the ends thereof bear against the body portion 31.

The bevel gear drive will now be described,

- particular reference being had to Fig. 6. Located which are preferably of the Timken type. One of these bearing units, designated by the numeral 64, is located in one end of the casing and has an outer ring and an inner or oil retaining ring 66. The opposite end of the body portion of the easing is closed by a removable plate (ii-secured in place by a plurality of screws 68. The purpose of this removableplate is to permit of the placing of the gears within thecasing. The plate 61 being removed, the gear 62 may be introduced into the housing 60 through this open endand secured in proper position upon the shaft section l4; the

gear 6| having been secured to the shaft 30, the

housing 60 may then be threaded over the shaft 30 and gear 6| until the latter is disposed in proper position within the housing. Carried by this plate 61 is a bearing unit 69 similar in construction to the bearing unit 64. The casing is adjustable lengthwise of the shaft 30 to permit of a proper relation between the gears when final adjustment takes place, and is adapted to be secured in adjusted position by nuts or rings 10 and H bearing against the outer rings 65 of the bearing units. In order to secure the nuts against turning movement, each of them has a plurality of angularly spaced apart slots 12, thus providing the nuts with yielding portions 13. Extending through these yielding portions and into the body of the nut are screws I4. By adjusting the rings \or nuts 10 and II, the gear 62 may be brought laterally into proper meshing relation with the gear 6!. To accomplish this result, one of the nuts is loosened up and then the other is screwed up, care being taken that the bearings are set right. After the casing hasbeen properly adjusted by means of the rings 10 and II, these rings, by tightening the screws 14, may be wedged or cramped against the threads on the shaft without disturbing the adjustment. Also, the clamp bolts may be set securely without injury to the major threads, because of the presence of inserted washers 12' selected as to proper thickness, and which limit the action on the largering nuts at each slot.

The casing 80 has a tubular extension 16 radially disposed with respect to the axis of the tubular shaft, and within this extension is a sleeve 11 which carries the drive shaft l4. Interposed between the sleeve 11 and the drive shaft are antifriction bearing units 18 and 19 which may also be of the Tlmken type. The bearing units may be adjusted by a nut 80 which screws onto the shaft I4 and bears against the outer plate 8| of the unit 18. This nut is split and is provided with a transverse bolt 82 so that, after the nut is adjusted, it may be securely clamped in place. The sleeve 11, and the shaft carried thereby, are adjustable as a unit in order to bring the gears into proper meshing relation after the gear box has been adjusted axially of the tubular shaft. For this purpose, the forward end of the sleeve is threaded so as to receive a threaded clamping nut 83 adapted to be secured to the gear casing by screws 84. By preference, the clamping ring or nut 83 is split and is drawn tightly about the threaded portion of the sleeve by a transverse bolt 85. This arrangement provides for a very nice and fine adjustment. The driving shaft bearings and the shaft are assembled in the sleeve and the bearings are nicely adjusted before the sleeve is placed in the tubular extension. The sleeve is then inserted, and the driving gear is then placed and fixed on the inner end of the shaft from within the casing. The screws 84 are put in place, but not tightened up, so as to hold the clamp nut against the casing and prevent the clamp nut from tuming, while adjusting the sleeve. The sleeve may now be rotated, to adjust the gear 62 relative to the gear 6|.

up so as to securely lock the parts in adjusted position, and this is done without disturbing the adjustment of the hearings or the adjustment of the shaft I4 with respect to its sleeve.

In order to prevent rotation of the gear casing, there is provided a torque rod 86, which is most clearly shown in Figs. 4, 9, and 10. This rod has a forward tapered end 81 which fits in a similarly tapered hole 88 provided in the rear of the gear casing. The rod is secured against withdrawal from this opening and against turning movement by means of. a nut 89. The rear end of the bar extends over the top plate 21 and through a block 90 secured to the top plate by bolts SI, the nuts of which bear on a face plate 92 placed on top of the block. This block is preferably made of hard wood, such as maple. Preferably, a number of these blocks are provided, each having an opening for the torque rod, and the openings of the several blocks being of different heights. Before anchoring the rear end of the torque rod, the car is totally assembled so that the truck springs are under full weight and then that block is selected which will hold the torque rod and casing in a position where the sections of the drive shaft are aligned and thus the knuckle joints I5 and I5 are favored.

From the description of the invention so far made, it will be observed that the driving unit is located upon and carried by the tubular shaft which is resiliently supported by the wheels so that the transmission of shocks and jars from the wheels as they pass over the rails to the driving mechanism is, to a large extent, eliminated, which means that wear and tear on the driving system is greatly reduced, and the car may be driven at very high speeds for greater distances with a greater degree of safety than has heretofore been possible. The cushions also take care of lateral thrusts and jars on the car. The drive unit is shielded from dust and may be maintained in perfectly lubricated condition at all times. The parts may be readily assembled and dis-assembled, and they may be readily adjusted when necessary.

Referring now to the construction of the trucks, each includes, as hereinbefore stated, a pair of H-beazi s 25 connected together by the I-beams 26 and the top plate 21. Located upon each of the H-beams is a pair of opposed springs I and MI, each of which preferably consists of a single integral member which tapers down in thickness from its central portion towards its ends. The lower-spring IOI is secured to the H-beam by means of screws I02. These screws extend upwardly through the flanges of the H-beam and are surrounded, between those flanges, by tubes I03, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The H-beams, adjacent their central portions, may be reinforced by tapered plates I04. Secured, as by means of bolts I08, to the ends of the upper spring I00 are rocker plates I05. These rocker plates comprise integral members having grooves in their upper surfaces which receive the respective ends of the spring I00. Each plate has a depending curved or rounded fulcrum or edge I01. Secured to the opposite ends of the spring IOI, as by means of bolts IIO, are saddles I05. Thesesaddles are grooved to receive this spring and thus prevent side play be- After the adjustment is made, the, clamping bolt 83 and the screws 84 are turned tween these two parts. 0n the upper face of each saddle I06 is a block portion having'a transverse groove I09 in its upper face. The bottom of this groove provides a surface on which a respective fulcrum I01 is adapted to rest. In order to prevent lateral movement of the springs one relative to the other, I provide, at each end of the springs and on opposite sides thereof, side plates III which are held tightly against the opposite side edges of the saddles by bolts II3 which straddle the block portion of the saddle I06. There is a clearance between these side plates and the rocker plates. As shown in Fig. 3, the rear and front faces of this block portion are grooved so as to accommodate the bolts 3. The plates I II are thus held against movement relative to the lower saddle. The lower edges of these plates III are bent inwardly and extend beneath the spring IOI so as to prevent the spring from separating from the rocker plates. A pin II2 carried by the side plates and located above the spring I00 prevents that spring from separating from the fulcrum plates. In operation, the two springs I00 and IN, under changes in pressure, are shortened up and lengthened out and, in these flexing operations, there is only a rolling motion between the rocker plates and the saddles. Friction and resultant wear are reduced to a minimum.

The underslung H-beams 25 are suspended from journal boxes 24 in which the opposite ends of the axles are journaled. The four journal boxes on each truck may be of like construction and, therefore, a description of one will apply to all. In the present illustrative disclosure, each journal box has a casing H5 in the opposite ends of which are located bearing units each comprising an outer race I16, an inner face H1, and roller bearing units H0 therebetween. The bottom of the casing has a groove H9 which receives the upper flange of the H-beam, that beam being somewhat narrowed where it enters the recess of the bearing casing. The front and rear sides of the casing II5 are provided with vertical grooves I20 which receive the upright portions of a pair of spaced brackets I2I secured to the top of the H-beam 25. :These brackets may be secured in place by means of rivets I22 and bolts I23. The latter extend through the flanges of the H-beam and are surrounded by tubes I24, as is the case with the screws I02. These brackets constitute guides which are adapted to move vertically in the side grooves of the journal box as the truck moves up and down with respect to the axles. The vertical grooves I20 are of increased depth at their upper ends yet much narrower so as to provide upwardly facing shoulders I25 on the casing II5. Carried by'the brackets I2I, adjacent their upper ends, are screws I26 which extend over the shoulders I25 in order to prevent the truck beam from falling down in the event a spring I30 should break. 5

The truck beams are suspended or underslung from the journal boxes in the following manner: extending longitudinally of the truck beams and supported upon the top of each journal box is a spring I 30 preferably formed of a single integral member which tapers down in thickness towards its opposite ends, This spring is held against endwlse and lateral movements by means of a pin I3I carried by the journal box and extending into a recess in the spring. The opposite ends of the spring are curved upwardly, as at I32. Secured to the H-beam 25 below 7 the opposite ends of the spring I30 are brackets or hangers I33 each having a hooked portion I34. The brackets of each pair face away from each other, and the hooked portions extend transversely of the H-beam. These brackets may be secured in place by bolts I35 about which are tubular members I36 comparable to the tubes I24. Between each end of the spring I30 and the corresponding bracket I33 is a link I31 which has its upper end turned horizontally and then downwardly and its lower end turned horizontally and upwardly. The downwardly turned end I38 engages and is fulcrumed on the spring inwardly of -the hooked portion I32. The upwardly turned portion l39 of the link engages the underside of the hooked portion I34 of thebracket. In order to prevent lateral movement between the link and the spring I30, the downwardly turned portion I38 may have a notch I40 which receives the stud I4I carried by the spring. Also, in order to prevent lateral movement between the lower end of the link and the bracket I 33, the up-turned portion I 39 of the link may have a notch I42 which receives the end of a screw I43 carried by the bracket. It will thus be observed that the underslung truck is suspended on the bearings or journal boxes which are supported by the wheeled axles, and the springs I30 supplement the main springs I and IM in order to provide for easier riding qualities, and at the same time to protect the truck frame from serious vibration or shocks.

The links I31 are so associated with the springs I 30 and brackets I34 as to permit unrestricted flexure of the springs without introducing any substantial amount of friction between these parts. Reference has been had to the tubular members I03, I24, andv I36 which encircle the bolts for securing certain parts of the H-beams 25. These tubular members serve a very useful purpose in that they strengthen and reinforce the fianges of the beams between which they are inserted and prevent failure of those flanges. Obviously, the provision of a number of openings in the flanges for the reception of the several securing screws or boltstends to weaken those flanges, but this weakening effect is more than compensated for by the tubular members. The body portion or platform of the car is supported by the springs I00 and I M through a bridge bar I50 and hardened side bearing rollers II. The bridge bar I50 comprises arigid, strong bar which extends transversely of the springs I 00 and rests thereon. This bar has down-turned end portions I52 which terminate in horizontally disposed and outwardly extending trunnions I53 on which the side rollers I5I are journaled, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. The bar is secured to each spring I00 by means of screws I54 and a clamp plate I55 through which the screws extend. Secured to the underside of the outer I-beams 9 of the platform of the car are short I-beams I51 to the underside of which are fastened hardened side bearing plates I58 which rest upon the rollers I5I. Obviously, the purpose of the side bearing rollers is to permit of such pivotal movement between the trucks and car body as is necessary when the car passes about a curve in the track or is switched from one track to another. It will be observed that the means for supporting the car body on .the springs of the truck, while being very simple in construction, is effective in operation. It comprises but a relatively few number of parts, each of which is strong and durable, and these parts may be readily assembled and, when assembled, are secure.

Reference will now be had to the central pivot about which the truck is adapted to turn in a horizontal plane, particular reference being had to Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The pivot pin I60 for the truck is located centrally of the truck and midway between the rollers I 5I. The pin extends vertically from, and is appropriately secured to, an anchor member I6I riveted to a plate I62 which is secured to the two central longitudinally extending I-beams 9 of the car platform. This plate may be secured to those I-beamsby clamp bars I63. Mounted for sliding vertical movement on this pin is a spherical ball I64 which is received in a spherical socket provided by a casing having the parts I65 and I66. This casing is located on, and is secured to, the top plate 21 which, as previously stated, ties together the two beams of the truck. The member I65 ofthe casing has a depending housing I61 into which the lower end of the pivot pin is adapted to extend, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. This housing is adapted to be filled with a suitable lubricant. The lubricant may be supplied by pouring it through a longitudinal opening I68 in the pin, and the upper end of that opening may be closed by a nut cap I69. A flexible jacket I10 between the anchor member and the casing may be provided to protect the pivot pin and ball socket against grit and dirt. It will be observed that, with this arrangement, the pivot pin I60 may move up and down relative to the ball, thus permitting of a vertical movement of the car platform with respect to the trucks. Also, owing to the universal joint provided by the ball I64 and the casing therefor, the car body may have a rocking movement with respect to the truck and, of course, the trucks may have a pivotal movement about a vertical axis. The contacting surfaces between the pivot pin and the ball, and between the ball and its casing, are maintained in a thoroughly lubricated condition as the engagement between these surfaces is continuously changing, thus avoiding wear at any localized points, and the lubricant will be forced up between these surfaces as the pin moves up. and down in the oil chamber. I

Each wheel I0 is secured in place on the tapered portion 29' of the shaft 29 by means of a split clamping nut I1I, as most clearly shown in Fig. '7. Between the shaft and the wheel is a key or spline I12. The outer end of the hub ofthe wheel may be externally threaded, as at I13, so as to receive a disc (not shown) having suitable threaded openings adapted to receive draw bolts or screws by means of which the wheel may be pulled loose of the tapered portion 29 when it is;

desired to renew the cushions or make repairs or adjustments. Normally, the threaded portion of the hub may be encircled by a protecting ring I14.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all .matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of= the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a drive for railway cars, a pair of removably driven wheels, an axle to which said wheels are secured, a shaft about said axle and spaced therefrom, driving means on said shaft, a holder secured to each end of said shaft and having a body portion removably secured to the shaft and a clamping ring removably secured to the body portion, a pneumatic cushion surrounding the holder and having a casing provided with beads, and an inner tube in the casing, said beads being clamped between said body of the holder and said ring, each of the driven wheels having an annular container, the interior surface of which is adapted to receive the peripheral surface of the cushion.

2. In a drive for railway cars, a pair of driven wheels each having an annular internal surface parti-elliptical in cross section, an axle to which said wheels are secured, a shaft about said axle, a holder secured to each end of said shaft, and a pneumatic cushion surrounding and secured to each holder and having a casing and an inner tube, the peripheral surfaces of said casings conforming to and being in close engagement with the parti-elliptical internal surfaces of said wheels.

3. In a drive for railway cars, a pair of wheels each provided adjacent its tread with an annular internal surface parti-elliptical in cross section, an axle to which said wheels are secured, a shaft about said axle and spaced therefrom, driving means on said shaft, a holder secured to each end of said shaft, and a pneumatic cushion surrounding each holder and having a casing and an inner tube in the casing, said casing being elliptical in cross section, the peripheries of said pneumatic cushions being adapted to tightly engage against the internal surfaces of said wheels when the cushion is inflated whereby a dependable driving engagement is had between the cushions and the wheels.

4. In a drive for railway cars, a driven wheel having an annular container provided with an interior surface, an axle to which said wheel is secured, a shaft about said axle and spaced therefrom, a holder secured to the end of said shaft and having a body portion removably secured to the shaft and a clamping ring removably secured to the body portion, said body portion and clamp having inclined flanges forming a seat, and a pneumatic cushion surrounding said holder and mounted on said seat and having a casing provided with beads and an inner tube in the casing, said holder and clamping ring being-recessed at the base of said seat so as to conform to and closely receive and securely bind said beads, the periphery of said casing, when inflated, being in tight engagement with said internal surface of said container.

5. In a drive for railway cars, a driven wheel having an annular container provided with an intermediate surface, an axle to which said wheel is secured, a shaft about said axle and spaced therefrom, a holder secured to said shaft and located within said container, and a pneumatic cushion about said holder and having its periphery, when the cushion is inflated, in tight driving engagement with the internal surface. of said container, said pneumatic cushion comprising a casing having beads on its inner periphery and an inner tube in the casing, said holder comprising a body portion secured to said shaft, a

clamping member and an intermediate plate between saidclamping member and body portion. said body portion and clamping member having oppositely directed flanges on their outer edges constituting a seat, the opposed faces of said body portion and clamping member being recessed at the base of said seat to conform to the shape of said beads and said intermediate plate being interposed between said beads.

6. In a drive for railway cars, a driven wheel having an annular container provided with an internal surface, an axle to which said wheel is secured, a shaft about said axle and spaced therefrom, a holder secured to said shaft and located within said container, and a pneumatic cushidn about said holder and secured thereto and having its outer periphery in close driving engagement with the internal surface of said container, said pneumatic cushion having a casing with beads on its inner periphery and an inner tube within the casing; said holder having a body portion removably secured to said shaft, a clamping member, an intermediate plate and bolts for securing said clamping member and plate to said body portion, said body portion and clamping member having peripheral surfaces constituting a seat for said casing, the opposed faces of said clamping member and body portion, at the base of said seat, being provided with recesses conforming to and adapted to closely receive and securely bind said beads, said plate having its outer portion located between said beads and its inner portion directly interposed between said body portion and clamping member, said bolts extending through said clamping member, intermediate plate and holder for securing the parts together and compressing said beads between the clamping member and holder and against said intermediate plate.

7. In a drive for railway cars, a driven wheel having an annular container provided with an internal surface, an axle to which said wheel is secured, a shaft about said axle and spaced therefrom, a holder secured to said shaft and located within said container, and a pneumatic cushion about said holder and secured thereto and having its outer periphery in close driving engagement with the internal surface of said container, said pneumatic cushion having a casing with beads on its inner periphery and an inner tube within the casing; said holder having a body portion removably secured to said shaft, a clamping member, an intermediate plate and bolts for securing said clamping member and plate to said body portion, said body portion and clamping member having peripheral surfaces constituting a seat for said casing, the opposed faces of said clamping member and body portion, at the base of said seat, being provided with recesses conforming to and adapted to closely receive said beads, said plate having its outer portion located between said beads and its inner portion directly interposed between said body portion and clamping member, said bolts extending through said clamping member, intermediate plate and holder for securing the parts together and compressing said beads between the clamping member and holder and against said intermediate plate, said intermediate plate comprising a plurality of arouate sections positioned end to end.

8. In a drive for railway cars, a pair of driven Wheels, an axle to which said wheels are fixedly connected, a hollow shaft about and spaced from said axle, driving means on said shaft, the opposite ends of said shaft being tapered, a holder 76 wardly of said tapered portions, screws between said rings and holders, each of said holders having a body portion and a clamping ring, the outer peripheries of which constitute a seat for a pneumatic cushion, and said pneumatic cushion being mounted on said seat and being clamped between said holder and ring, each; of said wheels having an annular internal surface parti-elliptical in cross section, the outer periphery of said cushion being adapted to engage tightly and be flattened out against said surface.

.9. In' a drive for railway cars, a driven. wheel having an annular container provided with an intermediate surface, an axle to which said wheel is secured, a shaft about said. axle and spaced therefrom, a holder secured to said shaft and 10- cated within said container, and a pneumatic cushion about said holder and having its periphery, when the cushion is inflated, in tight driving engagement with the internal surface of said container, said pneumatic cushion comprising a casing having beads on its inner periphery, and an inner tube in the casing, said inner tube having a valve stem, said holder comprising a body portion secured to said shaft, a clamping member and an intermediate plate between said clamping member and body portion, the opposed faces of said body portion and clamping member being recessed to conform to the shape of said beads,

and said intermediate plate being interposed between said beads, said intermediate plate comprising a plurality of arcuate sections positioned end to end, the adjacent ends of two of said sections being spaced apart to accommodate said valve stem.

CHARLES DE LOS RICE. 

